Success is an achievable possibility for every small business owner. Everyone, that is, who can envision what success looks like and means to them personally, and is willing to set goals and plans to get there. 
Without a doubt, it’s out there. There is much written or delivered in speeches, presentations or in website and blog content. Some kind of ‘blah’ others inspirational. I hope that the 25 Success, Self-confidence and Motivation quotations listed below will fall on the inspirational side for you.
Don’t expect Success to come knocking on your door. You have to go after it, grab it by the throat and hang on until it gives you the Success you want and deserve. That kind of fight for your Success takes self confidence, motivation and a lot of persistence. But, it can be yours if you really want it.
You might want to read – or re-read our earlier article on eight common traits that drive business success. It was based on the book by Richard St. John: The 8 Traits Successful People Have in Common. You might want to get a copy and read it.
To provide a little encouragement for you to move your small business closer to Success in 2020, here are 25 quotations on Success, Self-Confidence and Motivation to encourage you along the way. Find one or two that hits home and really catches your attention. Print them out and hang them on the wall next to your desk and where you and your staff can all see it. Make it your mantra – repeat it/them over and over to keep you focused on where you want your firm to go as you plan for the new year.
Primary Goal: Success
- “The true measure of success is how many times you can bounce back from failure.” ~ Stephen Richards, Author of Self-Help Genre
- “Action is the foundational key to all success.” ~ Pablo Picasso, Artist
- “When barriers pop up on your path to success, find a way over, under, around or through them. Keep your eyes on the goal to stay on course.” ~Terri L Maurer, Small Business Adviser
- “Strive not to be a success, but to be of value.” Albert Einstein, Physicist
- “You may never know what results come of your actions, but if you do nothing, there will be no results.” – Gandhi, Leader of Indian Nationalism
- “Your big opportunity may be right where you are now.” Napoleon Hill, Author
- “My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.” Maya Angelou, American Author, Poet and Civil Rights Activist
- “Stop wishing. Stop dreaming. Set big goals and start doing something to move toward success.” ~Terri L. Maurer, Small Business Adviser
Confidence in Yourself Leads to Success
- “Belief in oneself is one of the most important bricks in building any successful venture.”
~ Lydia Maria Child, American Abolitionist and Women’s Rights Activist - “Most of us have far more courage than we ever dreamed we possessed.“ ~Dale Carnegie, Author and Corporate Trainer
- “With self-discipline most anything is possible” ~Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of USA
- “What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you.“ ~Ralph Waldo Emerson, Philosopher, essayist, poet
- “Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” ~Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of USA
- “Nothing is impossible; the word itself says ‘I’m possible’!” ~Audrey Hepburn, Actress
- “Never allow your fears to overshadow faith in yourself.” ~ Terri L Maurer, Small Business Adviser
- “Always remember you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” ~ Christopher Robin in ‘Winnie the Pooh’
- “Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do.” ~Dr. Benjamin Spock, American Pediatrician and Author
- “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” ~Eleanor Roosevelt, Former US First Lady
Motivation Results in Forward Motion
- “Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” ~Jim Ryun, US Politician
- “Don’t wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles, and less than perfect conditions.” ~Mark Victor Hansen, Amer. Speaker and Author
- “I think it all comes down to motivation. If you really want to do something, you will work hard for it.” ~Sir Edmund Hillary, New Zealand Mountaineer and Explorer
- “The thing that motivates me is a very common form of motivation. And that is, with other folks counting on me, it’s so easy to be motivated.” ~Jeff Bezos, Founder and CEO of Amazon
- “The changing of the goals helps keep the motivation fresh.” ~Bradley Wiggins, Prof. British Road Racing Cyclist
- “Just don’t give up trying to do what you really want to do.” ~Ella Fitzgerald, American Jazz Singer
- “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” ~ Arthur Ashe, American Tennis Player
Set goals now that will move your small business closer to Success in the coming year. Set a clear, focused plan to get you where you want to be at this time next year. Write it down, or draw a picture, just do something so you are clear on what your Vision of Success look like. If you don’t know where you are going, or what it will look like, how will you know when you get there? Success can be just a short distance into your future. Maybe it will take just one more step or maybe it will take three steps. Just don’t quit now and waste all the effort you’ve expended so far. Rely on confidence in yourself to motivate you to Succeed in 2020.
